UN downsizing Ivory Coast mission in sign of progress

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Security Council is downsizing the peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast, signaling faith in the West African country's stability six years after political upheaval left thousands dead.

The Security Council is decreasing the authorized ceiling of the force's military component from 5,437 troops to 4,000 by March 31.

In a resolution approved Wednesday, the council called the Oct. 25 presidential election a "critical milestone" in consolidating "long-term peace and stability" in the world's largest cocoa producer.

President Alassane Ouattara easily won re-election in October after overseeing economic growth during his first term in office.

Ouattara was first elected in 2010 over incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, whose refusal to leave office led to months of fighting that killed more than 3,000 people. Gbagbo was arrested in April 2011.